This invention relates to heat exchangers and more particularly to a new and improved solar panel and systems thereof. Embodiments are especially advantageous for use in application to residential and commercial buildings as a means to most effectively capture heat emanating from the sun and apply such heat to a flow therethrough of fluid from a source of supply, which fluid, so heated, may then be cycled therefrom and used to favorably condition and/or supplement conventional heating facilities within the related building or to actually heat interior portions of the building or means therein. The invention will be described in this context. It is to be understood, however, that such is only by way of example and not by way of limitation.
While widely touted as a source of heat and energy for a home or commercial building, solar panels heretofore known have generally proven to be relatively inefficient devices plagued by many problems in their use. For these and other reasons, having little to do with climatic conditions, they have had relatively little public acceptance.
A typical solar panel of the prior art comprises a generally rectangular housing containing a number of short lengths of tubing joined by various coupling devices to form therein a generally rectangular heat exchanger through which heat from the sun is transmitted to liquid, hopefully to raise its temperature sufficiently that on discharge from the panel the temperature of the so heated liquid may be consistently high enough to effectively serve a useful purpose over a long period of time. In a large number of instances such panels have not shown the degree of effectiveness and efficiency required to justify the cost of their installation and maintenance. Their heating capacity, for a given size, has been less than desirable, a problem one source of which is their basic design which imposes shadowing characteristics in their interior. Further, they exhibit on many occasions the development of leakage, which not only breaks down the required pattern of their function but further reduces the heat receiving, storing and transfer capacity thereof. This is apart from the frequent inspection and maintenance they require in use thereof. All this and other problems are solved by the present invention.
To the extent of his knowledge, the present inventor is not aware of any other pertinent development in the prior art.